1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar wall tube that integrates with multi-wythe masonry and guides natural light into a building. The tube structure provides a cleaner aesthetic over previous glass block installation methods while guiding more natural light to the building interior. The tube also offers advantages of significantly improved thermal insulation over a single glass block and longevity of an enclosed building material.
2. Background of the Invention
Over the past several decades, architects have used glass blocks on exterior commercial walls as either an “architectural feature” integrated with masonry or as a functional window to bring light into a building. Many exterior building walls are considered to be “multi-wythe”, or made up of multiple layers of building materials including masonry, structural members, insulation, and finishing materials. For example such a wall, starting on the exterior side, could have an exterior brick veneer; followed by an air space (typically 1″ to 4″ wide); followed by a layer of insulation; followed by a concrete masonry wall; followed by a metal or wood stud wall with gypsum board, and ending up on the interior side with possibly a tiled finish. Overall widths of such walls can vary between 6″ and 16″ and possibly more.
On the one hand, putting a single (or multiple) glass block(s) unit flush with the exterior side or flush with the interior side or possibly somewhere in between, results in an unsightly deep hollow cavity on one or both sides of the block. Also, in many cases, it results in a deep exterior recess that collects rainwater. On the other hand, in an effort to eliminate deep cavities on either side of the glass block, designers have suggested having glass blocks within both the exterior and interior walls. However, in addition to having to provide a small lintel over each glass block because it is non load-bearing, the designer now also must cover the resulting unsightly space (left after construction), between the blocks. This area, if left unprotected or uncovered, could result in moisture and debris coming from the air space within the wall in the form of condensation and dirt buildup.
One possible solution is to use a window made of glass blocks. This is a practical solution for larger openings, but not as practical for small openings that would integrate into a masonry application where the desired opening would be, for example, 8″×8″ or 8″×16″.
Another approach might be to line the hard surfaces of the cavity to reduce the unsightly effect, but that would still leave the dark ragged air cavities visible from both the inside and outside of the building and would not solve the problems related to moisture and debris coming from the air space within the wall. Such a liner would also be troublesome on a construction site with the installation of several pieces of material and sealants and additional opportunity to get moisture and debris in the visible space between the glass blocks.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clean, easy-to-install and enduring solution to the challenge of integrating glass blocks into multi-wythe masonry walls.